One more chapter to go after this one! I'm pondering the idea of a sequel which I have ideas for so that's exciting :) Lemme know what you think. Again, I don't own anything but Alex!

/

"Wake up, wake up! Come on!" Colby yelled, trying to shake Alex awake but it was no use.

Jon stumbled over, wiping the blood from his lips and open gash over his left eye. He was battered and bruised but he didn't care, realizing Alex' seemingly lifeless body dangling in Colby's arms was a hell of a lot more important.

"Alex!" He shouted, running over to the two.

"She's bleeding a fucking lot," Colby panicked, holding his hand over her bullet wound.

"Fuck."

Jon grabbed her in his arms. He ran to the car, placing her in the front seat.

"Get out of here," he shouted back.

"What?"

"Get out of here."

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions... Don't make me regret it."

"I don't care what happens to me. Just get her to the hospital... Please."

"And I'm saving your ass... So I'm tellin' you, get out of here before they come and take you away. Now!"

"Take care of her," Colby whispered, descending into the darkness.

That was the last time anyone would see or hear of the one calledKing, and maybe Jon would one day regret taking Colby into custody.

But he helped save Alex, and to him that meant more then fulfilling his commitment to law enforcement.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Joe's voice asked, snapping Jon back to the nightmare he called reality.

"No."

It'd been almost six hours since arriving to the ER and Jon hadn't heard a word about Alex- no nurses came around to tell him how she was other then trying to tend to him which he refused.

"Until I hear she's awake and okay, I'm sitting my ass right here," he told the one trying to help him.

"She'll be okay, man... She's a tough one."

Jon sighed, completely tormented inside his own head. "She wouldn't wake up... She wouldn't wake up, Joe."

"Don't do this."

"Too fucking late..."

"Nothing good ever comes out of you assuming the worst... Remember Lauren?"

"Of course I do."

This whole hospital situation haunted him every time he looked into his son's eyes. Every time he walked into or passed by the place, he felt like he was suffocating under his own anxiousness. But how could he not? Seven years ago he sat like he did now, wondering if the love of his life and newborn baby boy would make it outta the hospital, like the one big happy family they were supposed to be.

So Jon had a damn good reason to feel the way he was and assuming nothing but the worst.

"Alex is going to walk outta the hospital with you, just like Lauren and Cam did... She's going to be fine, man," Joe reassured, his heavy hand on his friend's shoulder.

Jon didn't say a word, instead his eyes followed the doctor who was heading right in their way...

He was coming to talk to him.

Jon felt so numb down to his cores do it rattled his bones, rendering him motionless. Could he really handle any bad news in this state?"

"Mr. Shaw?" The doctor asked.

Jon stood to his feet, to his own surprise. He took a deep breath, exhaling his nervousness. "Yeah... Is she okay? Is Alex okay?"

"Yes, she's stable."

Jon could breath freely again. "Really?"

"Yes, surgery was a success. But she did lose a lot of blood and required a blood transfusion. She's not awake just yet but you can come back and see her now if you'd like."

"You don't need to ask him twice," Joe said.

"Okay, yeah, yeah," He said, following the doctor through the doors and to the elevator. He led him to Alex' room, explaining she was on heavy pain meds and would probably be out for a while. He left soon after checking her machines, leaving the two be.

She was still out of it, but not as weak and frail looking as he last saw her hours ago. Her cheeks were a healthy color again, her beautiful skin wiped clean of all the blood and dirt from before.

Alex finally looked at peace, having survived this horrible nightmare that was her life for so long.

Jon leaned against the bed, his lips pressed against her forehead in a kiss, at peace himself.

She was okay.

She pulled through and he felt fucking stupid for letting himself think the worst.

"Alex," he whispered, his forehead against hers.

"I love you so much... This... This won't ever happen again. I'm never gonna put you in danger for as long as I live... I promise."

"You never did," her tiny little voice mumbled, enough to make his ears burn in a good way.

She woke up.

He smiled, running his thumb against her cheek. She blinked a few times, her vision clouded but she didn't need to see his face. That voice of his was enough to make her realize she was safe- she had nothing to worry about anymore.

She held his hand against her cheek, a small smile at her lips.

"All this time you've been saving me."

X

"Let's go kid..."

Blood gurgled from Finn's mouth as Bray dragged him away from his hide out and into the woods, settling upon the deepest, darkest spot.

Finn arched in pain as Bray set him against a fallen tree trunk, his chest feeling like it was being ripped apart with even the slightest of movement.

Bray pulled out his lighter, flicking it to produce a flame so he could inspect Finn's wound. It was a pretty nasty hole, more so in his shoulder but he was lucky- Alex missed a very delicate organ... His heart.

"You're lucky," Bray chuckled, "A little bit lower and she would have got you."

"Alex..." Finn whispered, the throbbing pain of his shoulder making him cringe- as well as his broken heart.

"She's nothing to be concerned about no more, boy."

"Oh yeah? Well what should I be concerned about now? What the fuck we're doing out here?" Finn hissed, trying to hold himself up but he couldn't.

"We're waiting."

"For what?"

"Salvation."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Bray chuckled. "You haven't met him yet."

"Met who?"

"Braun."

"Who the fuck is Braun?"

"He's an old friend... He's going to help us get out of here."

"Get out of here? No," Finn shot down. He had unfinished business...

And Alex.

He couldn't leave without her.

"I'm not leaving... Not without her."

"We're getting out of here alone, kid... It's for your own good. They'll be looking for you and me and it'll be even worse if you take her with us."

Finn was against it, but really, there was no denying the amount of heat now targeted at them.

"Besides she's probably dead... You did shoot her," Bray reminded him, smirking at Finn's pain- it was written all over his face.

"So we have no choice but to leave," Bray clarified.

"Where do you suppose we go?" He muttered, so defeated.

"We'll lay low for a bit... Somewhere secluded till the time is right- till we can officially start what we sought out to do. So we do this tonight- we get you fixed up and we're outta here... Understand?"

Finn didn't have a choice what so ever. Somehow he needed to rebuild the Irish's reputation and business and the solution was sitting right in front of him.

Business was important at this point and it pained him to realize Alex was finally out of his clutches.

He had no choice but to agree.

So they waited for Bray's old friend Braun to lead them out of the woods, fix him up like he said he would and leave Cincinnati forever.

X

"Did you tell him yet?"

Joe paced outside of Alex' hospital room, peering in here and there. Jon lay in the bed beside her, his arms around her as she slept peacefully.

They both did but Joe was withholding information he was sure would threaten Jon and Alex' peace of mind.

"No... I didn't think now was the time."

"You should tell him before he finds out for himself... He might take it better coming from you."

"The guy who just tried to kill his girlfriend is presumably alive and on the run... He's not going to take that lightly."

"What?"

That was Jon's voice from behind Joe.

He slowly turned around to see his friend- his blood boiling within. "What?" He gritted through his teeth, his fists balled at his sides. He was irate.

"He knows doesn't he?" Antonio asked before Joe hung up his phone.

"Finn got away?"

Joe nodded.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Jon hissed, the tone of his voice alarming the few nurses who walked by the two. He huffed, stepping back to peak into Alex' room to see her sleeping... Thankfully.

"I'm sorry man. Wish this was some good news instead."

"Fuck..."

"You have to tell her..."

"How can I? She's been through so much and to tell her this shit isn't over yet? I don't know if I can."

"You gotta tell her something... You need an explanation why there's gonna be so many of us around cause she's target number one after what happened tonight. She's going to need protection."

"She's doesn't need to know... Not now anyways."

"What?"

"Look, her kid is coming by with her dad. The last thing I wanna do is upset her. She doesn't need to know until the time comes and when it does, I'm going to be the one to tell her."

Joe didn't agree with Jon at all. He would have barged in and told her right there if he could, but there was no going against his friend- ever.

"Man... I hope you know what you're doing."

Jon shrugged, deep down he hoped he did too.